The Cross’ Lee Si-ha Takes Office as Korea Music Copyright Association President

Lee Si-ha, a member of the band The Cross, has been inaugurated as the 25th president of the Korea Music Copyright Association, known as KOMCA, and laid out a four-year plan centered on creators.

Taking office, Lee said he would “change the center of the association,” signaling a push for practical reforms.

Lee outlined four main tasks. First, he said the association will focus not only on expanding collections but on increasing the real income of Korean songwriters — shifting from headline figures to raising the amounts that reach creators.

Second, he called for building a framework in which artificial intelligence and music writers can coexist. Rather than viewing the spread of AI only as a threat, he said the association will work to institutionalize a fair compensation system.

Third, Lee said he aims to double the amount of copyright royalties flowing into South Korea from overseas by strengthening global collection networks and reorganizing rights-protection systems.

Fourth, he pledged tangible improvements in creator welfare, saying the association will redesign its benefits system so writers can work in a more stable environment.

“We will become an association that changes creators’ lives, not one that just grows numbers,” Lee said, adding, “I will prove it with results within four years.”

Lee has performed with The Cross alongside vocalist Kim Hyeok-geon, who suffered an unexpected accident, and is known for hits including “Don’t Cry” and “For You.” He is also a professor at Sejong University’s Graduate School of Industry.

Lee said he plans to pause his music activities for the next four years and focus on making KOMCA an organization that contributes in practical ways to South Korea’s national interest.